Just Found Out What Happened...

[ATAK, Inc.]

... To the jet I crewed while on the Thunderbirds, F-16A (Block 15C), tail #81-0687!

I gotta say, it's final resting place makes me feel proud, She guards the main gate at Luke AFB, Az.

http://www.gunsnet.net/photopost/data/500/medium/Arnold_at_Luke_AFB.jpg

http://www.f-16.net/aircraft-database/F-16/airframe-profile/1028/crewchiefs.html

[mriddick]

That is very neat, thanks.

[El Jefe]

Yes, very cool. :thumbsup:

[ltorlo64]

That is cool.

[Solidus-snake]

Very cool indeed, how did u find out?

[ATAK, Inc.]

Very cool indeed, how did u find out?

i was looking for some production data on both the F-15 and F-16, and found this site that has the history of every F-16. Some of the other jets from my time on the team are in AMARK (the boneyard). The first 11 F-16's for the Thunderbirds were delivered right from the factory, so they started life Red, White and Blue!

The end of my last show season was also the end for those 11 F-16A's. They did 9-1/2 show seasons before going to different units, mostly guard and reserve units.

I wish they could all be returned to their original colors for display, and am going to look into if it is possible, on a historical basis.

BTW, you can tell one detail from the Thunderbird days is still there on my aircraft, anyone want to guess?

[ubersoldate]

Very cool, if I get out that way any time soon Ill get some nice close up pics for ya!

[O.S.O.K.]

Something to show to the grandkids :) Awsome!

[Focused Gunfire]

Beautiful jet, very slick. The one detail from your Thunderbird days, is the stuff on the tall.

[Bluntforce]

Did you ever fly the airshow in that dump, Liberal, KS? If you did, every year an F-16 would make a low pass over our house barely over treetop level. Just east of that circular stone wall at the fairgrounds and just north of a small park.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Very cool, if I get out that way any time soon Ill get some nice close up pics for ya!

That would be way cool!!! I hope to stop by there once I move back to Vegas... We go down to Tucson once in a while.



Beautiful jet, very slick. The one detail from your Thunderbird days, is the stuff on the tall.

Nope, those are the markings from the unit at Luke, my detail is real small, and not something you want on a combat aircraft!



Did you ever fly the airshow in that dump, Liberal, KS? If you did, every year an F-16 would make a low pass over our house barely over treetop level. Just east of that circular stone wall at the fairgrounds and just north of a small park.

I was part of the ground crew, just a monkey!!! I'm not sure about Liberal, KS, I was on the team for the 1989, 1990 and 1991 show seasons.

[ATAK, Inc.]

Here is a list of all the F-16A's from when I was on the team. At the end of 1991 they were all retired from the team. AMARC is the boneyard near Tucson.

81-0663- Assigned to Luke AFB, now restored and on display at Wright Patterson Museum
81-0667- Assigned to Luke, now at AMARC
81-0670- Assigned to Luke, now at AMARC
81-0676- Assigned to Luke, now restored and on display at Robins AFB, GA museum.
81-0677- Assigned to Luke, then AMARC, then to Singapore (no longer air-worthy)
81-0678- Assigned to Luke, now restored and on display at Sheppard AFB, TX museum.
81-0679- Assigned to Luke, now at AMARC
81-0683- Assigned to Luke, then AMARC, now in Norway.
81-0687- Assigned to Luke, now is the Gate guard. (My Jet!)

The 2-seaters, F-16B's
80-0638- Assigned to Luke, now at AMARC
81-0815- Assigned to Luke, now at AMARC

Neat story about when I took over the jet in January, 1991. Prior to that, the pilots did not like to fly her 'cause she flew crooked, would not end up in the same spot at the end of a loop. Because of that, she earned the nickname, "Arnold", like the pig from Green Acres! The jet was in periodic maintenence and we found that the leading edge flap rotary actuators were excessively worn and would move a bit independently of each other (they were not supposed to do this). This was a new issue and nobody knew how to do the fix. It took us about two weeks to get it fixed, but after that, she flew perfect. The pilots actually enjoyed to fly Arnold, and said so.

That year, we maintained Arnold at a 90.1% Fully mission capable rate, and a 95% mission capable rate. The highest on the team for the A&B models last year!

[Bluntforce]

I was part of the ground crew, just a monkey!!! I'm not sure about Liberal, KS, I was on the team for the 1989, 1990 and 1991 show seasons.

You were there then.

[ATAK, Inc.]

You were there then.

OK, I believe you! lol

Some of the 80+ airshows I did are a bit of a blur, and not because 20 years have passed, some were a blur back then;)

Sunday airshows back then amounted to us landing in the morning, getting the jets ready for the afternoon, and leaving the next morning. The shortest time spent at a show site was 22 hours, at Lyon, France.

[imanaknut]

ATAC, there wouldn't happen to be a little bitty anti-collision light on that speedy beauty???